There is shown in FIG. 1 an arrangement of display segments in a display device described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 57-68280.
The display device in FIG. 1 is a gear range indicator of an automatic transmission in a motor vehicle. The gear range indicator is a single display panel 11 including a first display segment to a tenth display segment 12A to 12J, each of which is, independently, arranged in close proximity to each other.
The above-mentioned display segments will now be described in detail. The first display segment 12A is in a substantially rectangular shape with its longer sides being substantially parallel to a vertical axis of a display panel 11 and its lower end being pointed and shaped like a mountain peak, and is disposed in an upper left half of the display panel 11.
The second display segment 12B is co-linear with the first display segment 12A, its upper end being connected to the lower end of the first display segment 12A and disposed in a lower left half of the display panel 11. Again, it is in a substantially rectangular shape with its longer sides being substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the display panel 11 and its upper end being pointed.
The third display segment 12C is arranged in such a way that it has a substantially horse shoe shape or an inverse C shape, one end thereof being connected to an upper right side of the first display segment 12A and the other end connected to a lower right side thereof.
The fourth display segment 12D slantly extends from a substantially middle part of a lower arm of the horse shoe shaped third display segment 12C, downwardly and rightwardly, in such a way that it has a substantially inclined parallelogram shape.
The fifth display segment 12E has a substantially trapezoid shape with the longer sides lying parallel to a horizontal axis of the display panel 11. Further, one side thereof is connected to a lower right side of the second display segment 12B and the opposite side thereof is connected to a lower left side of the fourth display segment 12D.
The sixth display segment 12F is substantially rectangular with its longer sides being substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the display panel 11, extends vertically upward from a location adjacent to a lower right side of the fourth display segment 12D by a same height as the top of the first display segment 12A and hence it is parallel to the first and the second display segments 12A and 12B.
The seventh display segment 12G is disposed at right side of the sixth display segment 12F at a predetermined distance therefrom so as to be parallel to the sixth display segment 12F. Further, it has an identical shape and size as the sixth display segment 12F.
The eighth display segment 12H is disposed so as to have a substantially inclined parallelogram shape with one side thereof being adjacent to an upper top right side of the sixth display segment 12F and the opposite side thereof being adjacent to a lower bottom left side of the seventh display segment 12G.
The ninth display segment 12I is disposed so as to have a substantially arc shape, wherein the arc rightwardly extends from a location in vicinity of a left top side of the eighth display segment 12H for a predetermined distance and then is downwardly bent to terminate at a location in vicinity of a right top side of the eighth display segment 12H.
The tenth display segment 12J is disposed so as to have a substantially arc shape, wherein the arc rightwardly extends from a location in vicinity of a lower right side of the sixth display segment 12F for a predetermined distance and then is upwardly bent to terminate at a lower right side of the eighth display segment 12H.
The display panel having the display segments 12A to 12J arranged in the foregoing manner indicates the gear ranges of an automatic transmission with the following characters, e.g., "P" for park, "R" for reverse, "N" for neutral, "D" for drive, "2" for second, "L" for low, by selectively combining the display segments 12A to 12J.
To be more specific, the characters above can be indicated on the display device using the following: "P" by selecting the first to the third display segments 12A to 12C; "R" by selecting the first to the fourth display segments 12A to 12D; "N" by selecting the sixth to the eighth display segments 12F to 12H; "D" by selecting the six, the ninth and the tenth display segments 12F, 12I, 12J; "2" by selecting the second, the third and the fifth display segments 12B, 12C, 12E; and "L" by selecting the first, the second and the fifth display segments 12A, 12B, 12E.
Each of the first to the third display segments 12A, 12B, 12C used for indicating "P" on the display device is divided into a plurality of sub-segments 13, each of which is composed of a hatched sub-segment 13a and an unhatched sub-segment 13b. Again, each of the sub-segments has a substantially inclined rectangular shape. In FIG. 1, the hatched first sub-segments 13a and the fourth display segment 12D are different from other display segments 12E to 12J in terms of the color they provide. For example, if the fifth to the tenth display segments 12E to 12J provide a green color, then the hatched first sub-segments 13a and the fourth display segment 12D provide a red color.
Further, the unhatched sub-segments 13b of the first, the second and the third display segments 12A, 12B, 12C in FIG. 1 are the segments for providing the identical display color, e.g, green, as the fifth to the tenth display segments 12E to 12J.
In such an arrangement as the one described above, "P" is displayed in red when a display signal is applied on the unhatched sub-segments 13b of the first to the third display segments 12A to 12C, thereby making it distingshable over the other characters.
In such a conventional display device shown in FIG. 1, by virtue of each of the first to the third display segments 12A to 12C having the plurality of hatched sub-segments 13a and the unhatched sub-segments 13b alternatively disposed, the hatched sub-segments 13a and the unhatched sub-segments 13B providing different display colors from each other, it is possible to display "P" and "R" in different display colors from each other. Furthermore, although the above discussions have been presented referring to a situation where each of the first to the third display segments includes a plurality of rectangular sub-segments for providing different colors, identical results can be obtained by using display segments provided with a plurality of sub-segments shaped like the teeth of a comb or made up of dots.
However, there are a number of major shortcomings associated with the above described display panel: for instance, in displaying the desired characters or the like in different colors from each other, all of the segment arrangements described above include portions thereof which are not illuminated, making the displayed characters appear segmented or discontinuous, aesthetically degrading the appearance thereof.